Be cautious - Understanding begins with courtship, not conquest.
When the unknowns constitute the greater set, the premature application of known measurements, mathematical solutions, or model/simulations may narrow our thinking more than uncertainty may warrant, leaving us in a state of highly precise ignorance.
Applying rigorous math too early in the prosecution of a daunting challenge, is not a first principle. Math usually comes near the end. Early on, it can usually only offer an illusion of confidence.